The exclusivity of Rise of the Tomb Raider may be timed, but this does not mean that fans are not annoyed by it. People with Playstation 4 consoles have to wait a year until they get to play, and a year in gaming is a long time and a lot of potential lost profit.

Talking to Examiner though Square Enix CEO of the Americas and Europe Phil Rogers is fully aware of how fans would react:

“I hope fans know that it wasn’t an easy decision. I think any sort of partnership at this level is a decision that took a long time for us to get to. The decision at a studio level, we took very, very seriously. We knew it would, in the short-term, disappoint fans”

What it was rather, was a way to thank Microsoft for the passion they had shown for their game:

“Having been working with us on previous games in a lesser sense, they’ve been supportive. [However], for Rise of the Tomb Raider, they’ve just brought this passion and belief that has really enabled us to blow people away. People should feel that about Microsoft. Their commitment to Tomb Raider is just amazing for us”

The praise for Microsoft continues:

“It becomes the most important thing. We’re about growing our IP, this is a long-term decision. We’re going to take Tomb Raider up to the next level. With Microsoft’s belief, passion and sort of muscle to help us deliver, we really think this is going to be an awesome game that people will enjoy for years and years to come”

So in short Microsoft have helped Crystal Dynamics to make Raise of the Tomb Raider special, and what we have seen so far is impressive. Will this impress Playstation 4 fans who still have the long wait? Probably not. At least they know the game is coming, maybe by the time they’ve tired of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End it will be just in time for Lara to make her comeback to the Playstation 4.

What are your thoughts on what Phil Rogers had to say? Let us know below.